


Never Have I Ever

by DontBeJelly



Series: Dragons Were Never Dinosaurs [4]
Category: Power Rangers (2017), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, On Hiatus, SEASON 3 SANVERS REWRITE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2019-11-01 09:39:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17864960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DontBeJelly/pseuds/DontBeJelly
Summary: Maggie never thought she would able to “retire” from being a Power Ranger. Now that the fate of the world is no longer on her shoulders, Maggie’s dedication shifts to things she never thought possible. Both Maggie and Alex are taking their next steps into a life they never imagined they could have.Except one thing will always be true: Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.





	1. Chapter 1

They were on the way home from their date when Maggie’s radio chirped. She glanced over at Alex, her hand halfway up. Alex answered by tugging her side-arm out from the back of her pants. Maggie grinned and picked up the mic, letting dispatch know she was enroute. 

“The more things change,” Maggie said as she flipped her lights and sirens on.

“What’s date night without a little adrenaline rush?” Alex asked as she called in to the DEO. From the sounds of it, the NCPD might be enough to handle the situation. But it never hurt to keep everyone informed.

When they caught up to the stolen 18-wheeler, Maggie radioed for a road block ahead of them. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Alex leaned out of the window and aimed at the tires. The moment she saw the grenade launcher, Maggie yanked Alex back into the car and swerved. The patrol cars behind her followed her lead and fell back, managing to avoid a direct hit. 

The truck braked suddenly and Maggie winced as her car slammed into it. When she tried to brake and back off, her stomach dropped when she realized they were hooked onto the trailer. On the one hand, that meant no more grenade launchers could reach them. On the other hand-

That back of the trailer rolled up to reveal a massive gatling gun.

Maggie wished for the first time in months that she was still bulletproof.

Supergirl landed on the hood of the Charger and blocked the bullets. When the gunman made a run for it, Kara shoved the car off the trailer’s bumper with the force of her take off.

“That crunch sounded expensive,” Alex muttered as they got out of the car.

“What’s a date night without a new mechanic bill?” Maggie asked as she waved down the approaching patrol cars. 

“C’mon, we’d be bored otherwise.”

Maggie slid into the passenger seat of one car while Alex headed for another. By the time they caught up to the semi, Kara was gone and the men in the cabin were out cold.

“Do you get the feeling she’s not over her break-up?” Maggie asked quietly as they started to secure the scene.

Alex sighed. “Only a lot.”

Two months ago, Kara ended things with Mon-El after he started to insist she live full time on New Daxam. He tried to convince her to rule at his side. Kara wanted to stay on Earth and continue being Supergirl, not take on the unknown responsibilities of being a queen. Talk of an heir led to a volatile discussion of New Daxam’s politics and brought up old differences between their people. Maggie had watched from the sidelines, telling Kara she was biased towards protecting the world over any and all relationships. While Maggie’s actions in the last year had proven that wasn’t exactly true, Kara respected Maggie would sacrifice Alex for the planet if it really well and truly came down to it. Fortunately for Maggie, neither Danvers sisters held it against her.

Two hours later, Maggie was shoving her useless power coin back into her pocket as the elevator dingged. Alex stepped out and sent her a distracted smile as they headed for the DEO garage.

“I was told forty eight hours was all it would take to fix the Charger,” Maggie said. “I guess you feds can work fast enough.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “Only because it’s different from their usual work.” She signed out for a set of keys and headed for an SUV. “Anything major wrong with it?”

“Most of it’s cosmetic.” Maggie took the passenger seat and watched Alex for a minute. “What’s up?”

“It’s stupid.” 

Maggie said nothing, knowing Alex would get to it. As much Maggie wanted to say nothing was stupid, Alex would just ignore her and list every reason why it was true.

“Am I unrelentingly serious?” Alex sounded so put out and peeved that Maggie had to wonder what the hell had been said in the command hub while she was with the DEO’s mechanics.

“When the situation calls for it.” Maggie saw her pout. “Alex, that’s a bit of a necessity for our line of work. Sure, we crack jokes here and there, but focusing on the task at hand saves lives.”

Alex sighed. “Winn said Kara’s attitude has gone from sunshine to me. I’m not that bad?”

Maggie bit back her grin. He wasn’t wrong. “Alex, you’ve gone rogue with the full intention of wiping a Cadmus base out of existence. And for all Kara is very much her own person, she did pick up a few things from you.”

Alex huffed. “Why is it I like it when you say these things?”

Now Maggie let her grin loose. “It’s because you like me best.”

Alex looked over at her, a small, soft smile on her face. “Yeah.” She reached over and laced one hand with Maggie’s. “I’m still sticking our kevlar in the backseat next date night.”

Maggie rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. It probably wasn’t the worst idea, anyway.

* * *

“Sawyer!”

Maggie stood without looking up, quickly saving her documents before locking her screen. Before becoming the official DEO/NCPD liaison, she could’ve risked her co-workers seeing what she was working on. These days, her computer had DEO level encryption and had a strict her-eyes-only rule. When she reached Jack’s office, she motioned to the door in a silent question.

“It’s fine open,” he said, motioning to the chair across from him. “This’ll be quick.” He put a hand on a pile of a dozen manila folders. “These are this week’s Science Division cases that involve Supergirl.”

Maggie winced. “And she’s picked up the habit of vanishing instead of giving any officers a statement.”

“Was there a change in protocol that I missed a memo on?” He didn’t sound particularly angry, just confused.

Maggie twisted around in her chair and shut the door. “I’ve been told Supergirl is grieving a personal loss. She’s been just as short with the DEO as she has with everyone else in the city.”

Jack nodded knowingly. “And instead of taking time to recover, she’s thrown herself into her work to lose herself in more immediate thoughts.” He gave Maggie a look. “Not that I don’t know anyone who’s ever done -that- before.”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, Captain.”

He scoffed. “You’ve come a long way, Sawyer, but just because you don’t dwell in the past, doesn’t mean you should forget it.” 

She nodded once. “Yes, sir.”

“Now, I don’t expect you’ll be able to track her down. But, if you could pass along the message that she is operating in a city with an established law enforcement that works because of its standard procedures, that’d be great.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” It wouldn’t be a conversation Maggie wanted to have, but it was a necessary one. 

“All I ask for is your best, Sawyer.” He dismissed her and she returned to her desk.

Maggie tugged out her phone and texted Alex. [I may have to instigate a Ranger intervention if Kara keeps this up.]

[Why? What happened?]

[I have a file box full of Supergirl related cases that don’t have statements from her. It’s not a requirement, but it helps when things get to court.]

[I understand that, but why does this mean a Ranger intervention?]

[She’s forgotten she’s more than just her cape.] Maggie understood the heartache of a breakup. She acted exactly as Kara more than once. But after a month, Kara showed no signs of stopping or allowing even Alex to help her. At least, at her worst, Maggie didn’t deny Kim and Trini’s friendship.

[Let me see if I can get through to her one more time.]

[Good luck.] 

* * *

Maggie shoved the door to the bar open and took a deep breath of the night air. It didn’t smell all that great, but it was cooler than the inside of the bar. Once on her bike, she called Trini and let the brief ringing echo in her helmet.

“What’s up?” Trini asked in greeting.

“Do not let me cancel this wedding.”

“Is this because Alex has bad taste in decorations or is she freaking out again.”

Maggie took a corner too quick and too tightly. “She’s freaking out again.”

“You talk to her?”

“She’s not ready to talk about it.”

“You coming over here?”

Maggie sighed. “No, I’ll head home. I just need you to talk me down.”

“Remember the days I would be the one to rile you up?”

Maggie snorted. “Only with the utmost regret.”

“Ass. Call me if you need anything, Mags.”

“Will do.”

* * *

Maggie took a deep breath and decided she would have to ambush Alex to get her to talk. By the time Maggie had gotten home the night before, there was a text from Alex telling her of a lead on the terrorist. Maggie had barely roused enough to ask Alex if everything was okay when Alex got home. When their morning alarms went off, it was a bit of a dash to get ready and head to DEO before coming out to Luthor’s little presentation.

“Danvers, you on comms? I’ve got something that needs your attention.”

“I’m here. East side. You?”

“West. All clear.” Maggie’s hand slipped into her pocket and closed around her power coin. “About last night…”

“Uh, this is neither the time nor the place to talk about what I think you wanna talk about.”

Ah, the Danvers Sisters, pros at avoidance. “Do you not want to marry me?”

“Of course I do.” Alex stopped her patrol to look at Maggie through the crowd. “Look, I wanna be your wife. I wanna have a dog. I wanna have a house. All of it.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I just...I just don’t want a big wedding.”

“Why?” Maggie watched Alex look out towards the water. “Talk to me, please. You have to tell me what’s going on.”

“Because my dad won’t be there. He can’t come. He can’t walk me down the aisle.”

Well, at least it was something Maggie could relate to. “You could’ve told me that.”

“I didn’t wanna make a big deal outta it. You’re already dealing with family issues that I can’t imagine. So I just...I just hoped that I would let it go.”

Maggie made a mental note to bring up Alex’s habit of disregarding her own need to talk things out. Maggie might’ve had trust issues before Alex, but Alex was one who thought no one cared for what was going on in her mind. “Look, I’ve had more practice at choosing my family because I’ve had to. And I think, if you take a deep breath, you’re gonna find your way outta this. You have so many people who love you. Just think about how they can make our day good, and tell me how I can help.”

“Okay.” Alex caught Maggie’s eye from across the way. “I can do that.”

“Okay.” Relief seeped into Maggie’s bones. “I love you.”

“You too. Forever.”

Maggie was infinitely pleased her teammates trusted Alex to the point they rarely felt like eavesdropping through the team comm unit.

“You two are my favorite couple.”

Oh, right. Winn.

“Winn, shut up,” Maggie said, hoping he wouldn’t send a recording to Zack. She would NEVER hear the end of how much of a romantic cheeseball she was if her little speech made its rounds.

“Winn, get off the comms,” Alex half ordered.

Maggie did another sweep as Lena began to speak. The youngest Luthor was far better at sounding natural and genuine than her brother. But Maggie could still feel a threat in the air, and she couldn’t find it in herself to take her hand off her power coin. She knew it was useless, knew she would never morph again, but it had been a source of her strength for so long-

The ground shook and people tumbled to the ground.

Maggie instantly made her way towards Alex as J’onn ordered Winn to locate the source of the explosion. Back to back with Alex, Maggie was ready to face any threat even without her powers.  It was Kara that figured it out a minute later.

“The pressure regulator wasn’t meant for high altitude, it was meant for low altitude. They’re underwater.”

But of course. 

The next explosive ripped open a crack in the ground and destabilized the nearest building. Alex and Maggie started to haul people up and away from the fissure. Kara flew above the water while J’onn started to evacuate the building. 

Kara disappeared below the surface as another blast rocked people back down. Maggie kept her balance and kept moving. She had a feeling the bedrock couldn’t take more than two more hits before the entire waterfront slid beneath the sea.

“Kara, answer me!” Alex demanded over the comms, catching Maggie’s attention.

She ran towards the railing and found Alex. She tapped at the Ranger comm. Alpha’s reply was instant.

“We have a teleportation lock, but we need to wait until her heart stops.”

Maggie said nothing, knowing the line they toed was a very delicate one. Maggie and Alex were no longer active Rangers; they weren’t allowed access to the technology available to the team, especially to aide other allies like Supergirl. Maggie and Alex weren’t allowed to ask. However, if the team just happened to do something without prompting….

“C’mon, Kara,” Maggie said, knowing some part of Kara had to be listening to them.

The water roiled half a mile away. The rising hump burst and revealed a submarine. Kara held it above her before heading away. 

“Lucy’s been wanting an excuse to get out of the cave, yeah?” Kara asked over the comms as she disappeared over the city skyline.

Alex’s hand found Maggie’s and squeezed. “Tell her the cloaking device was stolen from a project the General was running. That’ll make sure we get to keep it.”

“I’ll let her know.” For the first time in two months, Kara sounded alive and devious to Maggie’s ears.

J’onn clapped them on the shoulders. “Let’s get the site re-organized.”

Maggie and Alex turned, taking in the situation before parting to help in their specific ways. As Maggie started to coordinate with other NCPD officers, her thoughts didn’t stray once to her power coin. Maybe, just maybe, she could handle things without wishing she was more than human.

* * *

 

Alex curled around Maggie hours later than either of them planned. Though they had meant to have a couple drinks with their friends, Kara’s arrival meant the winding down had turned into a kind of celebration. Maggie didn’t have any regrets. She had numerous reports to write up, anyway, and wouldn’t be out on the streets for her next shift.

“I asked J’onn to walk me down the aisle.”

Maggie turned around to look at Alex. “Really?” Seeing the shy smile on Alex’s face made Maggie grin. “He said yes.”

“He did.” Alex kissed her softly. “He’s been… He helped me succeed and get where I am today. I think, if anyone deserves the honor, it’s him.”

Maggie nodded in agreement. “He does care a lot about you.”

“Have you given any thought to it?” Alex asked quiet, unsure, not wanting to upset Maggie.

“Alpha.” Maggie kept her face lax and calm for all of eight seconds as she watched Alex compute her answer. “I’m kidding, babe.” She laughed as Alex briefly tickled her in retaliation. “Sheppard, the Captain, and Zack are arguing with each other why they’re the best choice.”

“Zack, not Jason?”

“Jason is very much our big brother, and he’s always ready to take on anyone who’s hurt us. But Zack...He didn’t let anyone mess with me and Trini in high school, and he’s always been a guardian before we’ve ever known we needed one.”

Alex kissed Maggie’s forehead. “I’m glad you have so many people looking out for you.”

“They’re looking out for you, too, now.” Maggie squeezed Alex tightly. “Our two families of choice are going to become a single bigger one.”

Alex hummed happily in agreement. Neither of them wanted it any other way.


	2. Triggers Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is already sitting at 2500 words, I decided to post this episode so y'all wouldn't have to wait another week.  
> Much thanks to Jesi_Ki_Kage and jarguarspot for the beta reading :)

Maggie wrinkled her nose as she woke, knowing her alarm hadn’t gone off yet. She couldn’t help the slow smile at the sound of Alex’s light snoring. Cracking an eye open, she looked over at her fiancé and wondered when she’d get over the fluffy bit of joy that settled in her chest at the sight of Alex so relaxed.

Maggie really, really should let Alex sleep. 

Alas.

She reached over the side of Alex’s body and laced their fingers together. The bump of their engagement rings meeting made her feel stupidly giddy. She was going to get married. She was going to get married to a woman who accepted every bit of her.

This "normal" life was WAY better than morphing.

Alex roused as Maggie squeezed her hand and slowly rolled over. Her eyes weren’t yet open, but she smiled all the same.

Maggie shifted on top of her and kissed her softly.  “Hey, beautiful.”

Alex turned the slightest shade of pink and looked up at Maggie. “You look so happy.”

“I’m here with you. What could be better?”

Alex bit her lip. “Well, last week, you wanted vegan ice cream more than you wanted cuddles with me.”

“I was drunk; you can’t hold that against me!” Maggie protested even as she laughed.

Okay, so, maybe Alex didn’t accept EVERY bit of her.

Neither of them were perfect.

Alex’s laugh died down as she wrapped her arms around Maggie. “But I can hold you against me.”

“Nerd.” But Maggie let herself be rolled to her back as Alex kissed her.

When their alarms did go off, it was both easy and not to pull each other out of bed. A year ago, Maggie would’ve been exasperated with herself; she hadn’t been the type who wanted to spend all day cuddled up with one person, dozing in and out, not doing anything in particular. The way she had changed with Alex, being honest and more affectionate, was nothing but a good thing. 

On the way to work, Alex read off headlines and quotes from the morning news from the passenger seat, showing her “potential Gertrude” pictures from the shelters around the city during red lights. A dog wasn’t in the near future, but it was a break from the wedding preparation. Which, honestly, Maggie was surprised her Aunt Linda and Alex's mom hadn't hijacked the wedding planning. They weren’t exactly moving quickly when it came to figuring everything out.

At the DEO, Maggie tugged Alex towards her and kissed her. “Stay safe today.”

Alex smiled and winked. “Be careful yourself.” 

Maggie didn’t stop smiling even as she walked into the precinct. 

“Sawyer!” Jack called from his office door. “You look too pleased. You and Sheppard come here and let me give you work.”

She schooled her face into a scowl. “Sir, yes, sir.”

Jacob snorted as he got up from his desk and joined her. “You’re fooling no one.”

“As long as you believe that.” She took the file handed to her and pouted. “Aw, what did I do to deserve a bank robbery?”

“This is no ordinary bank robbery, my good Detectives,” Jack said. “This particular robbery didn’t involve any obvious weapons.”

“There ya go,” Sheppard muttered as he started with the notes at the end of the file, “ _now_  it’s a perfect case for us. I’ll check in with the CSIs, and you grab the security footage?”

Maggie nodded. “I’ll even hit the coffee machine on my way back.”

“This is why you’re the best, Sawyer.”

Jack made an offended noise as they left his office, but they didn’t respond. An hour later, though, they had nothing to go on.

“There’s nothing in the air or the blood samples taken,” Jacob said, flipping through the notes from the lab. “And she didn’t touch anything that left a useable print.”

“Facial recognition has nothing yet, either, but it’s still working.” Maggie glanced at her phone and saw nothing exciting had popped up for Alex. “Given shapeshifters are real, though, we could get nothing on that front.”

Jacob sighed. “I can start looking through the database of mental powers. That’s the only way I can see one person influencing all these people.”

“You do that,” Maggie gathered up her share of the paperwork. “I’ll see if Alex has anything to fight mind control.”

“Don’t play hooky in a closet the entire time you’re there.”

Maggie smirked. “Jealous?”

He flipped her off. She laughed and headed for her car, texting Alex about a case that could use the better funded Easy Bake Ovens. It wasn’t long before she was pinning her DEO badge into place as she entered the city’s headquarters.

“You’re never going to get tired of that, are you?” Alex asked as Maggie approached the desk.

“Not any time soon.” She unloaded her pockets of everything but her old coin and stepped through the scanner. “Slow morning for you, too?”

Alex shrugged, waiting for Maggie to return everything to their places. “Caught up on some lab work. I think the team needs to be tossed around the mats today. But if you have a case, maybe some alien can do it for me.”

Maggie handed over the folder as they got into the elevator. “Bank robberies with no visible weapons.”

Alex made a noise of interest as she looked over the bullet point list Maggie had made. She glanced at the CSI report before handing the file back. “What are you and Sheppard thinking?”

“Mental abilities. He’s checking the database of powers the NCPD has encountered.” Stepping out of the elevator, Maggie shrugged. “I’m here to see if you have anything that protects against that kind of thing.”

“You’ve come to the right place. You get an I.D. on her, yet?”

“No.” Maggie grinned. “Think your computers can do that faster, too?”

Alex rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Psh, of course.”

After giving Winn the relevant information, Maggie checked in with Sheppard. Then the old discussion about music for the wedding came up as they looked through street footage for a possible getaway car. It took a list of pro’s and con’s to decide that a band would need to be fed and paid more, as well as trusted not to mess up a song. A DJ was one person with a list to follow. 

Kara arrived, surprising them all. “I want to know what’s going on with the city at all times.”

Maggie made a mental note to talk to Alex about that intervention again. It hadn’t seemed like Kara would need it, but turning up at the DEO for every little thing had to be affecting things at CatCo. It would, eventually, change things with Alex once again.

“Detective Sawyer brought this in,” J’onn said before letting Winn take over.

“We’re hoping to see something the cops didn’t,” Winn said as he put the security footage on the big screens.

Maggie crossed her arms. “She hit two banks back to back this morning.”

“Where are the guards?” Kara asked.

“Unconscious on the floor,” Alex said.

“Any leads on how she took them out?”

Maggie shook her head. “Toxicity came back negative for gas in the air, and nothing shows in the handful of blood samples we’ve gotten."

“According to the reports, she walked right in the front door,” J’onn said. “No weapons of any kind. Everyone just cleared out of her way and let her take whatever she wanted.”

“Whoa,” Winn jumped up and started to tap at a computer. “We’ve got a silent alarm tripped at 25th and Cedar.”

“Must be our new friend.” Kara was gone before anyone could reply.

“That’s not far from here,” Maggie said, looking at Alex. “You get your team, I’ll call SWAT? Last team there buys lunch?”

“You’re on!” Alex said as she jogged off.

By the time Maggie was on her car, Jacob had already dispatched out with SWAT. She grinned at the easy victory before tapping on her Ranger comm. “How do you feel about talking Kara down from the twenty-four-seven hero routine?”   
  


“Does this involve her visiting the pit?” Trini asked. “Cause I’m down if this means she visits the pit.”

“You know, at this rate, it may come to that.”

“Want me to talk to Alex about it?” Jason asked.

“I’ll do it tonight if we have the time and let you know.” 

She reached the bank moments before two other patrol cars did and managed to wait for the officers to join her. There was a time, back when she was far more bulletproof, she would’ve headed in alone to investigate. Being powerless meant waiting for back-up.

No one exited the bank, and when they got inside, only huddled customers were visible.

“Make sure they’re okay,” Maggie ordered. “I’m gonna check the vault.”

She made her way carefully down the hall and past the handful of offices, braced for an unknown attack. By the time she reached the vault, Jacob had caught up to her.

Glancing inside, Maggie saw the last thing she expected.

Kara was in a corner, panicking at something only she could see.

If something was strong enough to affect Kara, there was no way any of them were safe.

“Get everyone out of here,” Maggie told Jacob. She didn’t need him, or anyone else, to see what happened when Supergirl flipped her shit. “Now!”

He cursed and ran back up the hall while Maggie tucked her gun away. She approached Kara slowly but steadily. Surprising someone who shot lasers from their eyes was never a good idea.

“Hey, Kara. Kara, it’s okay.” She reached out and helped lower Kara to the ground. “It’s okay. I need you to focus on my voice. Can you do that for me?”

No response.

Maggie carefully reached to snag Kara’s comm unit. Kara didn’t flinch. “Winn, I need you to set up a private channel for Danvers and Supergirl.”

“It’s done,” Alex said three seconds later. “What’s wrong, Sawyer?”

“She’s having a panic attack and can’t hear me. Gimme a second to get her comm back in.”

Maggie couldn’t hear what Alex was saying, but she knew it was working. Kara’s breathing evened out, her hands stopped shaking, and she was finally looking at Maggie.

“You good?” Maggie asked as she helped Kara stand.

She nodded. “Meet you back at the DEO.”

“Are you good to fly? Or do you want to judge my taste in radio stations?”

Kara rolled her eyes. “I’ll go with you only so Alex doesn’t run as many tests.”

“She only does it because she cares,” Maggie said as they headed out of the vault.

“Why doesn’t that sound so lame coming from you?” Kara whined.

“My current superpower,” Maggie joked. “Had to pick up a new one.”

They helped get the rest of the victims out of the bank. Being outside and away from the site of their trauma seemed to help. Jacob assured Maggie he had things under control and waved them off. Maggie did Kara the courtesy of driving around to the back of bank so no one would see her get in the car.

Kara insisted on changing one of the presets to her favorite station since this was becoming a habit. Maggie relented, but only if Kara promised to not eat the last bite of anything at the bridal shower.

Kara narrowed her eyes. “I feel like I’m getting a bad deal, but I shouldn’t expect anything less from a future older sister.”

Maggie preened and decided she didn’t care that Kara could hear her heartbeat race at the new title of "sister."

Alex was waiting for them when they arrived at the DEO. Kara dragged her feet up to medical, insisting she was fine. When the handful of tests confirmed the fact, Kara was eager to get out into the city again. Fortunately, when she tried to get up off the bed, Alex didn’t have to work too hard to get her to stay put.

Maggie considered Kara’s easy compliance a good sign. “None of the human victims remembered what happened in there. Do you?”

Kara sighed. “I don’t know. I felt like the walls of the vault were closing in on me, like I was suffocating.”

“Sounds like she made you feel claustrophobic,” Alex said.

Kara dismissed her without hesitation. “Claustrophobia is a human problem.”

“You used to have episodes like that sometimes when you first came to Earth.”

“That was a long time ago.”

Yeah, well, so were the days when Maggie was mind controlled by megalomaniac aliens, and she still had nightmares. She needed to talk to Alex about an intervention if Kara was brushing off possible problems.

“We need to find out who she is and how we track her,” Kara said as she stood.

“Well, at the moment, you’re our best clue,” J’onn said, purposely putting himself in her path.

“What are you doing?” Maggie asked as his eyes started to glow. They all knew Kryptonian minds were impossible for Martians to read.

“I can scan her mind for residual psychic activity. And she’s definitely a psychic, but she’s not like me. There are traces of a particular type of psionic interference in your mind,” he told Kara, “The type only used by metahumans.”

“That should narrow down our search parameters,” Winn said as he left the room.

“In the meantime, I’ll monitor potential targets for unusual activity.”

“If we locate her, I’ll take her down,” Kara insisted.

“It’s not safe,” Alex said.

Kara shook her head. “She caught me off guard last time. It’s not gonna happen again.”

Maggie put a hand on Alex’s shoulder as Kara left. “Hey, we’ve got her back.”

“But is it gonna be enough to save her from herself?”

“Yeah. About that.”

Alex looked at her. “That intervention you were talking about.”

“Now who’s the mind reader,” Maggie teased. “But, yes. After we deal with this.”

“If you like, you can have the meeting here,” J’onn offered. “I’ll make sure you remain uninterrupted.”

“Thanks,” Maggie said. “This ship is also an option, which may be preferable to any off-world Rangers I can rope into this.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Off-world Rangers?”

“I don’t know if Kara will listen to us alone.” Maggie took a deep breath. “There are older Rangers who have been doing this a lot longer, and have lost far more than a boyfriend.”

Alex ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll see if talking to her again helps. If not, we’ll do it your way.”

“Let me know if there’s any way I can help,” J’onn said before leaving.

Maggie looked at her phone. “I’m gonna check in with Shep and the Captain. Keep me posted?”

“Will do. Stay safe out there.”

“Be careful tossing your team around the mats.” Maggie has turned around to leave, but Alex snagged her hand.

“Hey, Sawyer, I love you.”

Maggie grinned. “Nerd.” She kissed Alex briefly. “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Might I have comments, please/thanks?


	3. Triggers Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not as long as the last part. I can't promise this will be the only episode that gets split. I only have one day off a week now so writing time is limited.  
> much thanks to my betas!

Maggie took the elevator to the top floor and wondered if Alex had gotten through to Kara after the last two robberies. It would be a relief if she had, but Maggie had a feeling there was a reason she was meeting the Danvers sisters at the DEO. When the elevator slid open, Maggie hit the stairs that led to the roof.

Alex and Kara were leaning on a wall, looking over the city. Kara looked behind her and gave Maggie a small smile. She looked far more strained than she had that morning. Maggie made her way over to them and settled against the wall next to Kara.

“She’s making me relive my worst fears.” Kara didn’t look at Maggie. Maybe she couldn’t. “Her psychic attacks lock me in the worst memories of my life.”

Maggie sucked in a breath. “And there is no shortage of those for you.”

Kara sighed. “Yeah. Um… She makes me feel weak? Like, when I’m in this suit when I’m out there as Supergirl, I’m supposed to be the strongest person around, right? She takes that away from me. Who am I if I’m not Supergirl?”

“You are the same ice cream lover I am when I’m not the Green Ranger. You have the same family as Agent “Badass” Danvers. You’re as Kryptonian as your aunt when she wasn’t wearing her armor.” Maggie looked at Kara. “It’s not the suit that makes you Supergirl. Kara, it’s your heart and dedication that have people looking up to you.”

“No, really, how does that not sound cheesy when you say it?” Kara grumbled. “Being Kara is hard enough right now. I know being Supergirl isn’t easy, but I can’t afford to doubt myself when I’m already having trouble juggling everything else.”

“So don’t doubt yourself.” Maggie faced the city again when Kara gave her an exasperated look. “When you start to doubt yourself, stop and think about us. Remember Alex is closing in your location with her team and biggest guns on this planet. Think about how I’m heading for you with a SWAT team that loves to compete with the DEO. Know Trini is always looking for an excuse to fight and is just waiting for Alpha to tell her things are looking a little dire.”

Kara looked at Alex. “If you don’t marry her, I will.”

“Hands off my fiancé,” Alex growled. She straightened up, alert, as did Kara. Tapping her comm, she said, “On our way.”

Kara headed for the door. “Psi hit an armored car.”

Maggie and Alex followed her down to the command center. On the big screens, a wrecking ball was smashing a patrol car. Maggie winced; the department didn’t have the budget to replace patrol cars every week.

“That thing could take out an entire block,” Alex said.

“I need to get down there,” Kara said.

“Not without this you’re not.” Winn presented what looked like a modified satellite phone.

“What is it?” Kara asked as she examined the new device.

“Psionic inhibitor ray. It should protect you from her powers.”

“We’ll set up a perimeter,” Maggie said.

“I just have to keep her out of my head long enough to get a good shot off.” Kara grip on the device was probably tighter than it needed to be, but Maggie said nothing.

“You can do it,” Alex told her, sounding every bit as confident as she could.

Kara nodded and took off out over the balcony. Winn tossed Maggie a comm unit as she and Alex headed for the elevator.

“You’ve got Kara’s back.” Maggie laced her fingers with Alex’s. “And I’ve got yours.”

Alex took a deep breath. “Let’s just hope all three of us don’t get caught in a nightmare.”

Maggie looked at Alex. “Psi isn’t bulletproof.”

Alex nodded, understanding there was a chance the day could end in death. They could hope it didn’t come to that, but sometimes the choice was taken out of their hands.

Alex told her team to arm up and meet them at the intersection where Psi was wreaking havoc. Maggie wasted no time once they were in the car, hitting the lights and sirens as she peeled out of the parking lot. Alex coordinated with the DEO and the NCPD; dispatch had gotten used to hearing Alex’s voice on Maggie’s call sign over the past year.

They arrived just in time to see Kara hit the corner of a building. Maggie came to a stop as close as she could to the scene. Alex was out and running towards where Kara might have landed. Maggie headed deeper into the wreckage.

“You two!” She pointed to a pair of bystanders. “Get this guy outta here!”

They hurried to get one of the armored car guards up and out of the way. Maggie directed a handful of others unaffected by Psi to do the same as she headed deeper into the wreckage.

“Maggie, take the next left,” Winn said through the comm.

Maggie ran around a corner and saw Psi making her way towards a car. “NCPD! Freeze!”

Psi’s shoulders sagged before she glanced over her shoulder at Maggie. The mental attack was almost absent, and Maggie suspected not all that powerful.

Darkness edged around her vision. Screams echoed in her ears. She took a deep breath. She had faced far stronger than a mere metahuman. Destroyers of worlds couldn’t stop her. SHe glared at Psi and aimed lower.

The sound of a tire exploding made Psi jump. She turned around, surprised that Maggie was still standing.

Maggie adjust her aim. “I said freeze!”

“Who are you to think you’re stronger than your fears?” Her eyes narrowed as she sent another mental attack.

Maggie stumbled back a step as she saw Alex bleeding out on Gasket’s ship. Except it wasn’t only Alex.

Her team, her friends, were laid broken and beaten on the floor. Maggie took a step forward, reached out, and froze.

Her hand was covered in armor. But not her armor.

She looked down and saw a Phantom Ranger.

A rush of wind blocked out the sounds of her dying friends.

“Maggie. C’mon, Sawyer, look at me.” Alex’s voice wasn’t coming from the bloody body in front of her. “Maggie, come back to me, please.”

This wasn’t real. Alex couldn’t be dead. Her friends weren’t dead. She wasn’t a Phantom. Maggie refused to believe it. She closed her eyes against the scene in front of her. This wasn’t real.

When Maggie opened her eyes, Alex was kneeling in front of her. Kara was standing over an unconscious Psi.

“You with me, Maggie?” Alex asked, eyes locked with her’s.

“Yeah.” Maggie leaned forward and rested her forehead on Alex’s. “I’m here, Alex. I’m with you.”

* * *

Maggie tossed another log into the fire pit just as Kara arrived. “Grab some food and take a seat.”

Kara smiled a little and went into the old train car, quickly filling her plate with both Earth food and the contributions of the other aliens. Maggie pointed out alcohol that should work on her as she grabbed her jacket from a corner.

“You’re not staying?” Kara asked.

“I think this conversation will go better with aliens who can relate to you.” Maggie examined her a little. “Unless you want me to stay?”

Kara shook her head. “I’ll be okay.” She sipped from the bottle of alcohol and winced. “Maybe.”

Maggie chuckled and led the way back outside. Kara took a seat next to the one person she knew of the group. “So, you already know Karone, former evil Empress and now Purple Ranger. That’s Trey of Triforia, Gold Ranger and King of his planet. Mya is a Yellow Ranger who has also lost her entire planet.”

That caught Kara’s attention.

“Guys, this is Kara Zor -El Danvers, one of the few remaining Kryptonians and Supergirl here on Earth.” Maggie didn’t bring up Astra, as that was for Kara to decide.

Maggie wished them goodnight before she was teleported away by Alpha. When she landed, Alex was waiting on the couch of the apartment with dinner. Maggie settled in next to her with a sigh.

“Thank you, Maggie.” Alex pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“You’re welcome. It won’t be a quick fix, but now she’ll have more people to talk to.” She picked up her plate of food. “Alpha will tell us if they get too rowdy out there.”

Alex huffed. “Let’s just hope they don’t bring attention to themselves.” She watched Maggie for a moment. “You okay?”

Maggie looked down at her food. “I will be.” She took a deep breath and looked at Alex. “I’ll probably have a nightmare tonight.”

Alex wrapped an arm around her. “I figured. I’ll be there to talk you back to reality, I promise.”

Maggie didn’t doubt Alex for a second. She didn’t think she could; Alex, and Maggie’s love for her, was no longer something she feared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can haz comments pls/thx?


	4. Far From The Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, many thanks to the betas

Maggie glanced over at Alex when she heard her Aunt Linda and Eliza giggle in the kitchen. “That’s never a good thing.”

“For our sanity, no,” Alex agreed as she finished setting the table. “But I’m glad Mom has someone to share this with.”

Maggie nodded. “I didn’t get around to having her involved with Emily. She’s excited to be part of this.”

Eliza brought the lasagna over to the table while Linda brought the rolls and salad. They took their seats and passed around the food. Alex and Maggie took far more than the older adults.

“Remember having the metabolism to eat like that?” Linda asked with a sigh.

“Yes,” Eliza said, “but now I have a smaller grocery bill.”

“Are you sure it’s not just because you don’t have to feed two teenagers?” Alex asked.

“That has contributed, yes.” Eliza shot Alex a playful look. “But now I don’t have to have a stash of chocolate in my lab as well as maintain one in the house.”

“It’s your fault for not keeping it locked up,” Alex shot back, grinning. “Anything in the pantry is fair game.”

Maggie narrowed her eyes at her aunt. “You know, it never occurred to me that you would have a secret stash like I did.”

Linda waved her off. “That’s because you were young and thought I wasn’t nearly as clever. I’m just relieved you kept it in a sealed container, so we didn’t have a bug problem.”

“Well, yeah, I didn’t want them to eat it for me.”

Linda and Eliza shared stories of their teenaged children, which was embarrassing but fun. Maggie had forgotten half the antics she got up to as a surly teenager who made a point of not having friends. Apparently, she had made up for lost time when she joined the Ranger team.

When Maggie couldn’t possibly eat any more, she said, “Eliza, the lasagna is incredible. Alex and I order in so much I forgot what real food tastes like.”

Alex shot her a look for ratting their poor eating habits out to their parental figures.

“Thank you,” Eliza said, smiling. “It is the girls’ favorite.”

“If you’ve forgotten the summer I taught you all the family recipes,” Linda said, “I can visit more often.”

“How about we Skype once a week?” Maggie suggested. “You can make sure I’m doing it right, even if I’m pretty sure I couldn’t forget some of those cooking lessons.”

Once they cleaned the table, Eliza and Linda surveyed what had been set up for the party tomorrow. Eliza’s favorite items were the “Guess the Age of the Bride” boards she had made with pictures from Maggie and Alex’s childhood. Linda had a handful more to add to Maggie’s; there was a cousin that had some photos from a long-ago family reunion that Maggie couldn’t recall due to being so small at the time.

“I only wish my sister-in-law had given me your pictures.” Linda wrapped an arm around Maggie. “I’m sorry I don’t have more.”

“May I ask what happened to them?” Eliza asked.

Alex was ready to direct her mother’s attention away from the sore subject, but Maggie linked her fingers with Alex's to still her.

“Those two removed every trace of Maggie from their house after giving her to me.” Linda ran a hand up and down Maggie’s back. “They didn’t even have the decency to give us more than a suitcase of clothing. Fortunately, moving to Angel Grove meant a better paying job so I could look after this one better.”

“How long has it been since you’ve spoken to your parents?” Eliza asked, ignoring Alex’s warning look.

Maggie ground her teeth for a moment. It wasn’t that the subject was a tough one, just one that made her angry. She didn’t want to snap at Eliza for being a curious parent herself. “Well, considering the last thing he said to me was “you shamed me,” I haven’t wanted to speak to him since high school.” Maggie took a deep breath. “They had every chance to make amends when I was a kid who needed her parents.” 

“And they’ve never asked me about her, either,” Linda bit out. “Not that I give them much opportunity to speak with me.”

She tightened her arm around her aunt briefly. “I have support, I have amazing friends, and now I’m getting a bigger, better family.” She shrugged. “I don’t need to beg for attention from people who have no wish to be in my life.”

Eliza wrapped her hands around Alex and Maggie’s. “Well, I’m certain you don’t necessarily _need_  a mother figure with Linda in your life, but please know that I consider you a daughter I want to know as well as my own.”

Alex was turning a little pink, both proud and embarrassed of her mother. They called it a night soon after. Eliza stayed in Kara’s apartment while Linda followed them home.

“Are you sure you don’t mind me here?” Linda asked as Maggie and Alex figured out the folding bed of the couch. Alex had only used it the one time Eliza had been in her apartment years ago.

“Kara only has the one bed,” Alex said, “and we really don’t mind.”

“I promise we can keep our hands to ourselves for two days,” Maggie told her aunt.

Linda winked at her. “Yes, but why should you have to?”

Alex turned bright red, and Maggie rolled her eyes. Maggie was so pleased her aunt was supportive of her lifestyle and accepting of Alex. As a teenager, the subject rarely came up; Maggie hadn’t wanted to risk Linda’s wrath, and Linda herself didn’t know how to talk to a scared teen. Once Maggie knew she had a place to run to in her team, it was easier to broach the subject, especially with Trini being an important part of her life at the time. 

Linda wandered over to the shelves of bonsai plants. “Are you still naming them after authority figures you have crushes on?”

Maggie tossed a throw pillow at her. “Aunt Linda!”

“Oh, no, please, tell me more,” Alex pleaded.

Linda picked up the pillow. “Did she tell you how she came into the hobby?”

Alex nodded. “One of her professors had them in her office, and Maggie was fascinated by tiny trees.”

“Did she tell you she came up with every reason possible to spend with said professor learning how to care for her first bonsai? I would get phone calls about how amazing she was, and how smart, and how funny.”

Maggie tossed pillows onto the prepared bed. “I’m going to smother you in your sleep.”

“You were so adorable. I didn’t have the heart to stop you or speak up.”

“You know, now that I think about it,” Alex mused, “I have a feeling I was the same way with one of my professors.” She looked at Maggie, blushing. “She was just so… She knew her subject, but she WANTED to teach it, too. And she was so happy to see some of us outside of class and talk and guide us in the right direction to learn more. I always got excited when I had time to spend an hour in her office, even if there were two or three other students.”

“I would almost give up a month’s worth of pay to watch you obliviously crush on people in college,” Maggie teased. “You were probably far more adorable than you were with me.”

Alex tossed a pillow at her face. “Oh, fuck off.” She grinned when Maggie couldn't reply with some kind of innuendo and headed to the bathroom.

Maggie sat with her aunt as Alex showered, planning a bit more of the wedding.

“Just so you know,” Linda said carefully, “your parents probably know about the wedding. I talk about it on Facebook, and there are a handful of people I’m still in touch within Blue Springs.”

Maggie nodded. “It doesn’t bother me, that they know. There is still part of me that wants to share my happiness with my parents, but I don’t think that ever goes away?”

“No, it doesn’t.” Linda smiles slightly. “There are days I wish I could still talk to my parents, though we had a good relationship. But, I’m happy you’ve made such a great life despite what happened.”

“Well,” Maggie said, wrapping an arm around her aunt, “I did have an amazing aunt to help me find my way.”

Linda returned the half embrace. “The good Lord knows we both got lost together sometimes, but I think we did pretty well.”

* * *

“I’m almost terrified to go to this party,” Alex said as she handed Maggie her keys. “Trini and Kim picked up Linda FAR too early.”

“Yeah, this is either going to be amazing, or we’re going to delay the wedding another year.”

“My mom would kill me,” Alex muttered.

“I think your sister is more likely.” Maggie led the way out of the apartment. “You promised her food.”

Alex winced. “You have a point.”

When they got to Kara’s, there was already a bit of noise coming from the apartment. Maggie and Alex traded looks before opening the door. The party wasn’t in full swing, but there were still more people there than they were expecting.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Alex asked Lucy, who greeted them with beer bottles for the two of them.

Lucy rolled her eyes. “I can trust our coworkers to do their jobs and call me if they need me to kick the General off base.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “And with your maid of honor off saving another world, it’s my sacred duty to make sure this is a party to be remembered.”

“Remembered by the cameras and not us, I’m assuming?” Maggie asked before sipping her beer.

Lucy smirked. “Exactly.”

Maggie sighed and headed over to her Ranger team while Alex wandered over to her DEO team. They mingled around the apartment, watching the pile of gifts grow as more people arrived. 

“I propose a drinking game!” Trini said as she stood on the rungs on a stool. “Every time those two love birds kiss, we drink!”

“Trini, no,” Maggie said, not wanting all her friends to get wasted.

“Trini, yes!” Zack replied.

Everyone started to chant for a kiss, and, well, it wasn’t the worst thing ever shouted at Maggie. They kissed softly, and cheers rose up around them before everyone went silent to have a drink. Maggie shook her head at her friend’s antics, but couldn’t help smiling at Alex who was just far too pleased to be in this situation.

For the next hour, Alex and Maggie managed to stay on opposite sides of the apartment. They got into conversations that would take time, and Alex even arm wrestled Jacob to keep Lucy from leading her over to Maggie. Eliza shook her head but said nothing because this was, apparently, how her daughter bonded with others.

“Did you know we had these many friends?” Alex asked Maggie quietly when they were able to catch up with each other. “I mean, I recognize everyone, but I’ve never had them all in the same room before.”

“And you spent all this time thinking you were some lone wolf,” Maggie teased. 

Alex made a face before deciding kissing her was the best way to shut her up.

“Drink!” Billy called out.

Maggie and Alex flipped him off, causing a round of chuckles.

“Okay everyone,” Eliza said from the center of the room. “It is trivia time.” She came over and took Maggie’s hands. “And Maggie you are in the hot seat.”

“Oh thank God,” Alex muttered. “Have fun.”

Maggie sat in the chair Eliza led her to as Winn picked up the index card with questions. Everyone gathered around while Alex hung back so no one would think she was giving Maggie answers.

“What is Alex’s favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“What is her favorite animal?”

“Dog.”

“What is her favorite flavor of ice cream?”

“Rocky road. C’mon, man, these aren’t even hard.”

Winn waved her off and shushed her. “What did Alex minor in?”

“Oceanography.” Because a double major wasn’t enough for her girl.

“What is her favorite chore?”

“Doing dishes.” It allowed Alex to play with water, which usually didn’t end up with a mess.

“How old was she when she got her wisdom teeth out?”

“She hasn’t.”

“Oh, very good, Sawyer! Which athlete does Alex admire?”

One would think Alex wasn’t into tracking any athlete, but Maggie knew better. She rattled off the name of a female surfer who was on the way to winning an eighth world champion title.

After three more questions, Linda led Alex over as Maggie stood. They kissed on instinct, causing a round of drinks. Alex sat, and Maggie drifted towards the dessert table. Jason took the index card handed to him and smirked at Alex.

“What is Maggie’s second favorite color?”

“Green.” It sure wasn’t her first favorite, but she was fond of it.

“Who was her first celebrity crush?”

“All the Spice Girls.” There were a few laughs as well as a few agreements. 

“What’s her favorite dessert?”

“Tiramisu. Are you going to ask tough questions?”

Jason handed off the index card and tugged a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket. Alex looked gleeful, but Maggie straightened up in apprehension.

“Jason Scott-”

“It’s nothing embarrassing, Mags,” Kim reassured her.

Still, Maggie inched closer in case she had to body slam her team leader.

“Where did Maggie kiss her first girl?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “On a hill barely outside the gold mine property in Angel Grove.” A perk of them trusting each other was Maggie got to tell Alex more than she usually would about her high school years.

“When did Maggie get her driver’s license?”

“The week before she applied to the police academy.”

“No wonder you’re crazy behind the wheel,” Jacob said, causing a round of laughter.

There were three more questions, all of which Alex answered without hesitation. Then it was time to open presents. There were far more than Maggie was expecting. There was no mention of a gift on the invitations; Maggie and Alex figured they would give the option to bring one or not on the wedding invite. 

An hour later, the party was in the middle of bridal bingo of all things when there was a knock at the door. Given everyone knew to walk in, James waved at them to continue playing while he answered.

“Hey, Alex,” he called after a minute. “It’s addressed to the two of you, but there’s no saying who it’s from.”

Evan stood up. “That’s our cue, boys. Sawyer, we’ll take it down to the van?” They were on call, though as a back-up unit, and had come over in their tactical van to take up just one parking spot. 

Maggie looked over at Alex, who nodded in agreement. Maggie saw Lucy and Vasquez exchange a conversation of raised eyebrows and head tilts before Vas stood up as well.

“I’ll go with, in case this is more our thing than yours.”

Evan nodded, taking the broad, flat box under his arm before leading the way out. The SWAT team would be able to investigate the package safely.

“Con of being too good at our jobs,” Alex said, slinging an arm around Maggie’s waist. “Good thing we’ve got people who want us alive, huh?”

Maggie raised her beer. “Cheers to all of you who have had our backs.”

Everyone raised their drinks to that. Twenty minutes later, Evan’s team and Vasquez were back in the loft, the package with them.

“Comes back clean,” Evan reported, holding the box out to them. “We had to unwrap it, but it’s mostly in place.”

“Thank you, Lorne,” Alex said, taking the box and holding the open end out to Maggie.

Maggie reached inside and got a feel for how heavy the object was. She frowned at the sight of a gold frame followed by a photo of stars. Written in golden script were the words “The Night Sky Above National City” followed by a date and time. She smiled. “This is when you proposed.”

Alex said nothing, causing Maggie to look over at her. Alex’s eyes were a little too wide, and she was in shock, not awe. Maggie reached over and squeezed her hand. Alex twitched before seeking out Eliza. “Mom…”

Eliza came over with concern etched over her face. When she looked down, she squeezed Alex’s shoulder. “That’s his handwriting.”

Maggie’s grip on the frame and Alex’s hand tightened. There was only one person Alex would need Eliza to confirm for her.

Jeremiah.

Alex looked up from the picture. “Luce, Vas, can you…?”

The couple nodded and headed over to take charge of bridal bingo. Alex stood and tugged Maggie with her, leading her and Eliza over to Kara’s curtained off bedroom. Alex headed straight for the bathroom, setting the picture on the counter and stepping away as far as she could with the three of them in the enclosed space.

“How does he even know?” Alex asked, her voice hoarse. “I proposed out of the blue and J’onn would’ve made sure there were no Cadmus agents after the alien registry was stolen-”

Eliza soothed her hands up and down Alex’s arms. “Breathe, sweetie.”

Alex took a slow, deep breath, closing her eyes.

Maggie put herself between Alex and the picture. “The date of this party has been circling for a few weeks, so it wouldn’t be hard to have something delivered today. As for the proposal, we _did_  work with Lillian during the invasion. There’s no telling what she bugged. We know there’s nothing currently eavesdropping on us, but at the time, I wouldn’t be surprised if she found a way to listen in on the DEO for a day or two.” 

Alex nodded slowly, calming down as Maggie rationalized Jeremiah’s knowledge. “Thank you. I’m sorry.”

“You’re allowed to freak out when your MIA father sends you proof that he knows what you’re up to when you think he’s not around.”

Alex opened her eyes. “Do you think there’s anything Lorne could’ve missed?”

“No, but we can bring it into the DEO if you want to be certain.”

“It’s not that I doubt him; I’m just...paranoid?”

Maggie squeezed her hands. “I’d probably be acting the same way if my father sent something meaningful out of the blue.”

“How about we leave this here in Kara’s room,” Eliza suggested. “Tomorrow, you can bring it in for a few more tests.”

Alex turned so she could face them both and looked at her mother. “I’ll track him down.”

“Oh, honey,” Eliza tucked some of Alex’s hair away from her face. “I think if he truly wanted to be here with us, he would be.”

“But, Mom, I could, I don’t know, if we could just find him…”

“I think Maggie had a point last night, Alex.” Eliza took one of their hands in each of her’s. “He’s had all this time to make amends by both of us. I don’t hold you responsible for finding him. If you do happen upon him throughout your work, okay. But please don’t neglect your lab work, your sister, and your lovely fiancé to search for a man who doesn’t want to be found.”

Maggie knew those were meaningful words, coming from Eliza. For so long, Alex had been trying to meet her mother’s impossible expectations. The fact Eliza wouldn’t demand of Alex this task would do wonders for their relationship. 

Alex hugged her mother, and Eliza returned the embrace for a minute before roping Maggie in. Once they had their bearings, they emerged from the bathroom. Eliza leaned the photo against a far wall where it would be out of sight.

A cheer rose up from beyond the curtain, followed by Winn’s bragging and Trini’s protests.

Maggie shook her head and looped an arm through one of Alex’s. “Let’s go keep our friends from ripping each other apart.” 

“I think I have a non-competitive activity that’ll calm everyone down a little,” Eliza said.

“Why does that still scare me?” Alex asked, grinning when her mother shot her a raised eyebrow.

“Do you know how I can tell you’re having fun, my dear, sweet, daughter?” She squeezed both their shoulders. “You’re sober.”

Alex blushed, and Maggie kissed her cheek. Eliza smiled at them fondly before leaving the room. Maggie and Alex stared at each other for a minute, and Maggie wondered how she ended up with someone strong enough to handle her own shit as well as Maggie’s.

“If you two are kissing,” Lucy called, “do it out here so we can drink, assholes!”

“Remind me to challenge her to a sparring match,” Alex muttered as they headed out of the room. 

Maggie laughed, and the moment they were visible to everyone else, kissed Alex for as long as she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can haz shiny comments for posting 3419 words of fluff?


	5. The Faithful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeey i did a thing  
> thanks to the betas, of course

“What’s on your mind, Kara?” Alex asked once she and Maggie had set down their offerings for girls night.

“Stupid crinkle,” Kara muttered. She took a deep breath and looked at Maggie. “Are there any cults that worship the Power Rangers?”

Maggie sat on a bar stool, wondering why she was asking. “In what way?”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “There are different ways?”

“Less tech advanced planets see their Rangers as demi-gods or mystical protectors. It’s more of a religion to those people, except the Rangers aren’t divine beings. The planets that are at Earth’s level of technology or higher are a lot more creepy and less benign.”

“The second one, definitely.” Kara went to the coat rack and brought back a piece of paper. “There’s this group of people I’ve saved who get together. It wouldn’t be so bad if it were just a support group, but… There’s a completely human leader who somehow knows Kryptonian prayers. He’s twisted parts of the Book of Rao and made me the focal point.”

Alex stiffened at the other end of the kitchen island. “Is this something we should be talking about at the D.E.O.?”

Kara shook her head. “I’ve already asked Winn to look into him. He was on your flight.”

Maggie watched Alex’s eyes unfocus for a moment before she shook herself back to the present. “That doesn’t explain how he knows things.”

“He said he’s traveled, following every rumor-”

“You spoke to him?” Alex demanded.

Kara gave her a look. “I didn’t want to scare him into running by bringing you along.”

“I’m not that bad!”

“Seventeen ways to make a person talk with their pinky finger sound familiar?”

Alex rolled her eyes. “He exaggerated.”

Maggie smoothed out the flyer. “I can put you in touch with a team. The planet is a few years ahead of us in terms of tech and social ideals, but they know of their Zeo Crystal due to an attack that almost destroyed their world. They call it the Corona Aurora, and consider their Rangers to be all but gods.”

“Thanks, Maggie.” She took a deep breath and put the flyer back in her jacket. “I think I’m just upset about what he’s done to my religion. Those prayers are sacred, and to have Rao’s name replaced with Supergirl is...well, it’s blasphemous.”

Maggie took one of Kara’s hands, and Alex took the other. Before they could say anything, the door swung open, announcing Vasquez and Lucy’s presence. Kara pulled away and tried to pretend everything was fine, but it was too late.

“Don’t pull that happy puppy mask with me,” Lucy said, dropping their contributions on the island. “What’s wrong?”

“Does it have to do with the cult?” Vasquez asked.

Kara’s jaw dropped. “How do you even know? I’ve only talked to Winn and J’onn about it! Two hours ago!”

Vasquez shrugged. “Comm agent.”

“I’m guessing this isn’t one of those fun cults,” Lucy said, looking between Alex and Maggie.

“They’re worshiping Supergirl like she’s a god,” Alex told her.

“I mean, with those biceps, are they wrong?”

Alex rolled her eyes and poured wine for her and Maggie.

“I will let you all know if I need help dealing with them, okay?” Kara waved her hands at the food and alcohol. “No more work talk! We’re here to eat, drink, and be merry damn it.”

Lena and Sam were next to arrive. Lena was a little reserved, but Sam had no problem forging ahead with new friendships. Trini and Kim came half an hour late but made up for it with the pastries they brought.

Trini glanced at the box of glass recycling. “Damn, Kim, we have to catch up. They’ve already killed one wine bottle.”

“I don’t think you should catch up in the way I think you’re going to catch up.”

Trini locked eyes with Kim and drained half a wine bottle in one breath.

Maggie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Ladies, my best friend since high school, Trini, and her inexplicably attached wife, Kim.”

Trini poured the rest of the bottle into large glasses for herself and Kim. “You’re just jealous you can’t do that anymore.”

“Sure, jealousy. That’s what it is.” Maggie scooted closer to Alex so Trini could plop down next to her and tug Kim down on her other side. “Why are you like this?”

“It is my sacred duty as your best friend to make everyone think you’re the sane one of the two of us.”

“I am the sane one!”

Lucy coughed, looked at Alex, then raised an eyebrow at Maggie. She barely dodged the two pillows aimed at her face.

“You _did_  arrest me, a Luthor, thinking the charges would stick,” Lena pointed out.

“That doesn’t make me insane.” A roomful of looks disagreed with her. “Fine, if I’m insane, what does that make all of you?”

“Entertained?” Vas offered, getting a high-five from Trini.

The conversation moved on, and Maggie found herself relaxing deeper and deeper against Alex as the night went on. It wasn’t long before there was a significant space between her and Trini, as they both had melted into their significant others. Maggie would be willing to have more nights like this, even if two of the group weren’t in on the big secret.

Kara’s phone chirped, and she frowned as she looked at it. Alex sat up a little straighter; the only notifications Kara would be getting would be from the D.E.O. “I need to go deal with something.”

“Anything I can help with?” Lena asked.

“No. You stay here and not do anything work-related.”

Lena rolled her eyes but settled back into the chair.

Maggie exchanged her wine glass for a cup of water. Unless Supergirl was doing something that only involved the D.E.O., Maggie would be getting a call herself. Half an hour later, she was right.

She leaned over the side of the couch and kissed Alex. “Gotta go do my job. I’ll see you at home?”

“Yes. Be safe.”

“Supergirl already handled it; I just happen to be the one who gets to deal with any case related fall-out.”

Twenty minutes later, Maggie was at the scene of a fire. She was surprised to see Kara pouting off to the side with Jacob, out of sight from all other emergency services.

“What’s wrong?” Maggie asked as she approached, leaning against Jacob’s car next to Kara.

“He set fire on purpose so that I would rescue him.” Kara threw her hands up. “One of the cult members was here, and said the actual arsonist could join them now.”

“Once he gets out of prison for the crime, sure,” Jacob drawled, likely having gotten an earful from Kara about the cult.

“But if they decide to start recruiting like this, I’m never going to get any sleep.”

“Right now all we can do is put the group on a watch list,” Maggie said. “We only have this one incident, and people HAVE to admit that being rescued by you is part of an initiation encouraged by Coville. Only then will we have a case against him.”

“Thank you.” Kara nodded at Jacob. “He already took my statement, so I’m heading out.”

Maggie quickly texted her to talk to Lucy for legal advice before putting her phone away. “So, how do you wanna play this? Bad cop, worse cop?”

Jacob headed over to the patrol car holding the arsonist. “Only if I get to play worse cop.”

“Just this once, and only because you got here first.”

* * *

Maggie filled the rice cooker with as much rice as she was willing to risk in the thing. With Kara over, all of it would be eaten. Especially now that Kara was emotional. Fortunately, talking to Tyzonn seemed to be helping.

Kara paced between the couch and coffee table, twisting a small obelisk in her hands. Maggie was nervous about the thing, but so far none of the Ranger alarms had gone off. Tyzonn’s hologram was sitting in midair, the chair he was using going unseen by the communication array.

Alex entered the apartment and smiled at Kara, but let her be. Instead, she came over to hug Maggie. “What’s for dinner tonight?”

Before Maggie could answer, light sprouted from the obelisk and a man stood before them.

“Greetings, new friends. If you’re watching this, you’ve received a collection of works and history from Krypton.”

Kara tilted the obelisk up, killing the holographic program. “We need to get back to the D.E.O.”

Maggie started putting food back in the fridge; the rice didn’t even have water yet, so it could sit in the cold cooker. “What’s up?”

“I know what this is and I know how Colville learned so much.”

“We’ll meet you there,” Alex said as Kara flew out the balcony window.

“Good luck,” Tyzonn called as they left. Maggie assumed he would shut down the transmission on his end.

“Race ya!” Maggie called as she jogged to her bike.

“You’re on!” Alex tugged on her helmet and swung a leg over her bike, ready to go in seconds.

Five minutes into their very illegal race, the comms in their helmets chirped.

“Okay the two of you need to get to the stadium ice rink,” Winn said in a rush.

“Details,” Alex demanded. She flicked her hand at the next corner, and Maggie sent a thumbs up.

They took the corner quick and sharp as Winn explained the Kryptonian probe that was about to explode. Alex gunned her bike and Maggie fell in behind her as they weaved through the night’s traffic. With half an eye on Alex’s body language and another on the vehicles around them, Maggie kept pace and didn’t miss a beat.

At the entrance of the stadium, they flashed their badges at the security guard.

“F.B.I.,” Alex said, slipping the comm from her helmet into place. “I need to speak with security management.”

“I’ll start looking,” Maggie told Alex, fitting her spare comm into her ear. “Location?”

“The basement,” Winn said. “Hurry.”

Maggie took off running, listening as Kara tried to reason with Coville. Then she heard the last thing any of them wanted.

“Kryptonite.”

Maggie raced down the stairs and turned a corner just in time to see Kara cut her hand open. The sight of their supposed god bleeding caused a ripple of fear. Maggie yanked her cell phone out and started recording.

The retreating members froze at the sight of her badge and gun.

“Oh, I can’t detain all of you; I just need your faces for later identification.” Because obviously the security cameras were compromised and wouldn’t have anything for her to work with when this was over.

The pounding of footsteps made Maggie look back the way she came, expecting Alex.

Her heart stopped.

Jeremiah.

Fuck.

“Get out of here, all of you!” Jeremiah yelled, shoving people into moving again as he pushed through them. “Detective, get her out of here.”

Maggie nodded, unable to find words as she hurried to Kara’s side.

“Coville!” Jeremiah yelled, yanking the man to his feet. “This was not part of the plan!”

Maggie got an arm around Kara’s shoulders, but she could barely hold herself up.

“Some things are greater than any plan of mere mortals.”

Maggie started to back away, neither her nor Kara wanting to take their eyes off the bomb.

Jeremiah shoved Coville into a wall. “You’ve gone too far!”

“I have a teleportation lock,” Alpha said in her ear, overriding the DEO signal for a brief moment.

“There’s Kryptonite,” Kara told Jeremiah as he studied the control. “In the back.”

Jeremiah went behind the probe and emerged moments later with a small container of dirt with glowing green specks. Maggie moved Kara out of the way as Jeremiah headed back towards the stairs.

Alex turned the corner, froze, then aimed her blaster.

“Get me closer to the probe,” Kara said, tugging on Maggie’s jacket.

Maggie did so and could feel Kara regaining her strength. Kara took a deep breath, found her feet, and aimed her laser vision at the ground in front of the probe. The hole melted quickly, the heat causing Maggie to wince.

“Push it in,” Kara murmured before losing consciousness.

Maggie looked behind her as she lowered Kara to the ground. “The three of you get over here! Now!”

Coville scrambled to his feet, and Jeremiah ran over. Alex was barely holding it together. Jeremiah tossed the container of dirt into the hole before taking a side of the probe. They shoved and pushed, the sound of grating metal on concrete ringing in their ears.

Four seconds after the probe fell in, it exploded. The blast knocked them all off their feet.

Maggie closed her eyes for a moment and took a slow, deep breath. She reached out for Alex. Her eyes snapped open when she heard rushed movements. She didn’t hesitate to aim her gun at Jeremiah. “Alex might not want to shoot you, but I do.”

For a moment, she thought he would try to run. Instead, he looked between Alex and Kara. He kneeled, fingers lacing behind his head.

“Winn,” Alex said, her voice steady, “we need medical evac and prisoner transport.”

“Papa Bear is en route for Supergirl. Delta team is heading your way with a van.”

Maggie used one hand to grab the zip ties she kept in her jacket. She seemed to find herself in situations requiring arrest on her off hours ever since she started dating Alex. “Secure Coville and check on her. I’ll keep my eye on him.”

Alex nodded and took the ties. Coville didn’t resist. Jeremiah’s worried looks at Kara did nothing to convince Maggie to let him help her. He might not have wanted the probe to be a bomb, but he had a hand in this cult.

Maggie had no idea what would become of Jeremiah. All she could be sure of was how she would be at Alex’s side every step of the way.

* * *

Maggie looked up when the door to the apartment opened. Alex slummed in, exhausted. Maggie shifted to get up, but Alex dropped herself face first on the couch and burrowed her head between Maggie’s lap and the pillow holding up her book. Maggie’s lips turned up a little as she set aside her book and moved the pillow. She dug her fingers into Alex’s neck and shoulders, waiting for the tension to fall away before speaking.

“How’d it go?”

Alex huffed. After Jeremiah surrendered, J’onn had sent him to the desert base and forbade the sisters from seeing the man for a week. J’onn wanted them to talk to Jeremiah with clearer heads than they would typically have. Alex had ranted about it for a day, but then slowly admitted J’onn was right to make her and Kara get their shit together.

Alex still hadn’t told Eliza. Neither sister knew how but knew it had to happen soon.

Alex turned over and took one of Maggie’s hands in her own. “The cult was a kind of Cadmus recruitment.”

Maggie frowned. “How would being rescued by Supergirl make people want to eradicate aliens?”

“Some of those people were in danger from aliens.” Alex sighed. “Coville was supposed to identify who those people were and pass their names on to him.” Alex had yet to refer to Jeremiah as anything but he/him. She couldn’t let go of the idea he was her dad even if he wasn’t acting like one.

“Speaking of those people, we’ve rounded them all up. Cadmus won’t be able to use them any time soon.” Between facial recognition tech and Kara being the one to talk to the cult members, everyone had handed themselves over to Maggie and Jacob without a fight.

Alex nodded, then got lost in thought. It was a few minutes later when their stomachs growled in unison that Alex shook herself back to reality. She poked at Maggie’s stomach, which gurgled in reply. Looking up at her, she said, “I don’t know what to do.”

Maggie ran her fingers through Alex’s hair. “Right now, we get up and make dinner. We can figure out the next step tomorrow.”

Alex kissed the hand she was holding. “This is why you’re my favorite. You’re so smart.”

“And here I thought it was for my awesome body.”

“I mean, it is amazing. How’d I luck out on a smart AND hot woman?”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Danvers.” Maggie leaned over and kissed her briefly. “C’mon, I’ll make your favorite.”

Maggie knew nothing involving Jeremiah would be solved quickly or easily. There was always a risk of Cadmus wanting him back, too. But that was for tomorrow. Right now, she wanted Alex in the kitchen, showing off her knife skills. Everything else could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....so.  
> u like?


	6. Damage

Maggie and Jacob sat at their usual bench near the favorite taco truck in silence. Though they weren't directly affected by the news, it still wasn't good news.

"I know he was dirty," Maggie said slowly, "but this isn't justice."

Jacob shook his head. "Someone must've thought he didn't deserve it."

It still sat wrong with Maggie. She hated dirty cops as much as the next decent officer, but she would rather see them wrung through the system than found in an alley with a bullet in their head.

"What I don't get is," Maggie said, "why provide all the evidence against him? Someone might be able to put together all the pieces that lead to more of those assholes, but what's stopping anyone else from letting the problem fall through the cracks?"

"Whoever took out Laflamme is probably providing warning and test." Jacob sipped his soda. "Someone knows what's going on. What's the department gonna do about it?"

Maggie nodded in agreement, then picked up her ringing phone. "What can I do for you, little Danvers?"

"Lena is going to hold a press conference."

Maggie stood and motioned Jacob up. "We're on our way."

"Thank you so much, Maggie." Kara rattled off a location before hanging up.

"Where we headed?" Jacob asked as they headed for Maggie's car.

"Luthor has decided to hold a press conference about the lead poisoning."

He sighed. "And she won't be wearing kevlar. I'm pretty sure I like this Luthor best, but she's still got the family crazy."

Maggie didn't disagree. She texted Trini and Kim to see if they could escape training for an hour to be bulletproof. Kara would be on hand to protect Lena, but Trini and Kim could get between civilians and bullets. As much as Maggie believed in humanity, she knew how quick people were to react with anger and bad choices.

When they reached the small square, Maggie and Jacob slipped their badges in their pockets and dropped their vigilant cop attitudes. Jacob managed to look disinterested in everything. Maggie found Trini and Kim in the angry crowd but otherwise didn't acknowledge them. Lena took to the podium, but Maggie ignored her.

Now would be a great time to have her heightened sense of hearing.

Maggie shook herself from those thoughts. The whole reason she became a cop was to do good without powers. She wanted the training and experience so she could help people without her armor.

She leaned against a light pole with her head turned towards Lena while her eyes roved from behind sunglasses. Jacob was stepping through the crowd with his cell phone up as if to record everything. Kim and Trini kept to the very back, eyes scanning every hand that moved from beneath jacket hoods.

Trini suddenly took off, and Maggie closed in on her as two gunshots rang out. People screamed and ducked. Maggie weaved through those frozen with fear as two more bullets left the chamber moments before Trini tackled the gunner. Maggie secured the gun while Trini yanked the hood back.

The woman burst into tears, but Maggie felt no sympathy for her. Instead, she motioned for Trini to haul her up and dug her cuffs out from her back pocket.

"You have the right to remain silent," Maggie began, rattling off the long-ago memorized words as she cuffed the woman.

Jacob jogged away to grab an evidence bag.

Then Lena started screaming for help.

* * *

"Please consider protective custody," Maggie near about begged the C.E.O.

"I may have faith in your loyalty to the spirit behind your badge, Detective," Lena said, "but I'm certain others can be bought."

"Lena you aren't safe right now," Sam said, trying to reason with her. "And if you say anything about being a Luthor-"

"Would it be a lie?" Lena challenged.

Kara ran a hand through her hair. "Fine. Maggie, can you please?"

She nodded. "You're coming home with me, Luthor."

Lena raised an eyebrow. "Can we at least get dinner first?"

"You're funny," Maggie said, pointing out the door, "but looks aren't everything. Going to your place or the office is out of the question. At least with me and Alex, anyone who comes for you will be in for a fight."

"You honestly don't expect me to put any of you at risk, do you?"

Sam ran a hand through her hair. "Lena, come to my place. It's a house with the best security system I can afford with the salary you're paying me. The fence is high and sharp at the top, and no one will be expecting it." She looked at Maggie. "Everyone will expect Lena to go with the cop and F.B.I. agent. No one will think of me."

Maggie nodded. "You're probably right." She looked at Lena. "Either you go home with one of us, or you have three very persistent shadows."

Lena looked a little lost for a moment as if she wasn't expecting such support. The emotion was soon gone and replaced with exasperation. "I'll go with Sam."

"Thank you," Kara said, beyond relieved.

"I know the SWAT team is solid," Maggie said. "If I bribe them with pizza and root beer from the local place near the precinct, they'll take shifts across the street."

"Are you sure?" Lena asked, distrustful.

Maggie nodded once. "They've proved themselves. If I couldn't trust them at my back, I would've found a way to get them away from the Science Division."

Kara tilted her head. "You can do that?"

"Well, not in a straight forward and obvious way." Maggie shrugged. "There's a reason most aliens trust the science division."

It had nothing to do with asking M'gann to look through her coworkers the moment Maggie was assigned to the division. Maggie didn't spend her first six months sabotaging those who needed to go and making sure recommendations found their way to the right people. Maggie would never abuse her power and connections in such a way. Ever.

Lena was considering her in a different light, and Kara obviously wanted to ask questions, but Sam started to usher Lena out of the office. Maggie sighed as the trio left. She headed for Evan's office and hoped her bank account could handle bribing the entire SWAT team.

* * *

A couple of days later, Maggie couldn't be bothered to keep up with Kara's texted updates about what was going on with Lena. She could read through the group chat once the world was safe again. For now, her eyes didn't leave the television screen. News crews had gotten smarter when it came to filming Ranger battles. While this meant they weren't likely to be in the way, the footage better revealed the hits her teammates took.

She had been invited to wait it out in the ship, but she couldn't bring herself to be so close and yet so useless. She also declined the live stream from their helmets. She knew she would have been a distraction.

Hours after the Power Rangers won the latest battle for Earth, Alex came home frazzled but intact. She collapsed onto the couch and curled up in Maggie's lap. Maggie absently started to run her fingers through Alex's hair as she listened to Trini and Kim mock each other for their bad puns.

"Hey," Zack said, focusing on Alex, "what's up with my second favorite Black Ranger?"

Alex rolled over and glared at the laptop. "Second favorite?"

He grinned. "I love me the most."

Alex snorted, then sighed. "Lena Luthor knows Supergirl's identity."

Maggie's ears rang in the silence.

Well, shit.

"Zordon's *really* good at the secret identity speech," Trini said. She spoke from experience; her little brothers had found out and proceeded to do everything possible to keep their parent's attention off Trini until she graduated high school.

"It's not that." Alex wiggled herself upright and under Maggie's arm. "Turns out Lena's known for a while. She understands the need for secrecy and lies, but she's a little insulted Kara thought a ponytail, glasses, and tone of voice was enough to fool her."

"Why did Lena decide to say something now?" Billy asked.

"Oh, it wasn't a conscious decision. She got wasted last night and ran her mouth." Alex sighed again. "I can at least be grateful Sam wasn't home at the time."

"Out of sheer paranoid curiosity," Jason said, "she hasn't figured out you and Maggie, has she?"

Alex shook her head. "We haven't been around Lena often until the last couple months. Secret's safe."

"We can help keep an eye on her if you want," Kim offered.

"The D.E.O. has it covered, but thanks. I'll keep that in mind if she starts getting suspicious."

Food suddenly appeared on the coffee table.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you haven't eaten anything since before the fight. Mags," Jason said.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Thanks, mother hen."

"With the relation between dinosaurs and birds," Billy said, "she's not wrong."

"I need better friends," Jason muttered.

Trini scoffed. "Please, your life would be so boring without us."

"But I'd be *sane*."

Maggie squeezed her arm around Alex as her friends devolved into teasing each other. Alex picked up the plates of food, and they settled in to help their teammates relax. If neither of them could fight alongside the team, then being at their sides in every other way would have to do.

* * *

Lucy took one look at the ship that had landed above her base and ordered a lockdown. "Have they contacted us?"

Vasquez shook their head. "No, ma'am, and they aren't responding to us on any frequency."

"As much as I hate the "wait and see" game, they haven't been hostile, so neither will we."

The ship itself, from what Lucy could see of it on the screens, wasn't exactly menacing. Smooth and bright, with calm blue lines and a softly swirling energy field at its center. Lucy knew, however, that looks could be deceiving.

"I want department heads to get a head count," Lucy said. "Everyone in the same area. Have teams sweep through the base and check every room and closet."

"Shapeshifters?" Vasquez asked after they relayed the orders.

"Wouldn't be the first time."

Speaking of, J'onn and Kara materialized through the ceiling and landed beside her. More than one hand twitched toward a weapon.

"A little warning, maybe?" Lucy drawled.

"Please, your heart rate didn't even jump," Kara said as she slung her arm over Lucy's shoulders. "Damn, that looks fancy."

Lucy rolled her eyes at Kara's understatement. "It's also been radio silent."

"We'll go up there and find out what's going on," J'onn said. "I can sense only one mind, and it's in distress."

Lucy nodded. "I'll warn medical."

Kara stepped back towards J'onn. He took firm hold of her, and they headed back up through the ceiling.

Vasquez shook their head. "Always wondered how he ended up in rooms I swore were secured."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "And what were you doing in those secured rooms that his presence disrupted?"

"Little bit of this, a little bit of that." She tapped at her computer, and the room could hear J'onn and Kara speaking to someone.

Lucy quickly warned medical of incoming before heading there herself. By the time she arrived, J'onn and Kara had brought down their new guest. The woman had a head wound, but was upright and murmuring to Kara. J'onn joined Lucy by the door, remaining as a Green Martian.

"Her name is Imra Ardeen," he told Lucy. "She claims to be from the future and a member of a Legion of Superheroes."

"And do you believe her?"

He nodded, then glanced behind him.

Lucy looked and was surprised to see Alex and Maggie approaching, armed and ready for a fight. "What's wrong?"

"She's a Phantom Ranger," Maggie said, eyes locked on the woman on the gurney.

Kara's eyes flickered over to them before refocusing on Imra. She shifted just a little, nothing anyone would recognize as preparation for a fight unless they knew Kara.

"There were four other stasis pods on that ship," J'onn said. "As far as I can tell, there was no one else on the ship."

"Big ship for only five people," Alex said.

Maggie shrugged. "Personal experience says not really."

"You don't count."

Doctor Parker joined them once she had made sure Imra had no other injuries. "Beyond being a little exhausted, the head wound is her only major injury." She eyed the weapons but said nothing. "I'd like to have her observed overnight."

Lucy nodded. "We'll speak to her and set up a security detail." She led the way over to Imra and Kara, relieved when Alex and Maggie put their weapons away. She knew both were quickdraws and wouldn't hesitate to shoot if Imra presented a threat. After a round of introductions, Lucy asked, "What brings you to Earth?"

"I come from the thirty-first century to stop the World Killers before they can become a threat in my time."

"A thousand years is a long time for a threat to grow," Alex said.

Imra nodded. "The D.E.O. and Supergirl thought the World Killers destroyed. In reality, they left Earth and instead ravaged worlds without protectors."

"We haven't encountered anyone going by that title," J'onn said.

"They will have infiltrated less scrutinized areas of society," Imra said. "Their work is sometimes obvious, sometimes not."

"Before we get any further," Maggie said, clearly irritated and maybe hiding her fear, "why are you using Phantom Ranger technology?"

Imra didn't seem surprised by the question. She calmly removed the slim wristband on her right arm and handed it over. "It'll take some time, but eventually the galaxy will need a fighting force larger than teams of Power Rangers tethered to their Zeo Crystals. The Phantom powers draw on energy that anyone without a Power Coin can use."

Maggie glanced at J'onn, who nodded once. She sighed but motioned back to Lucy.

"What happened that you ended up injured?" Lucy asked.

"Time traveling isn't easy even when one has the means to do it." Imra took a deep breath. "With the current conflict against the Phantom powers, as well as how different it is from what we're used to, I had to put the other members of my team into stasis."

"Why come here?" Lucy asked. "Why not go to the Power Rangers?"

"The World Killers will be looking to destroy the D.E.O., Supergirl, and those allied with them." Imra looked at Maggie. "And we didn't think we would be welcomed, given the current state of things between the two powers."

"It would've been tense," Maggie admitted. "I can't say they would've believed you."

"That's understandable."

Alex frowned. “Wait. You know?”

Imra nodded. “The events of the past few months are what lead to the forming of the Legion of Superheroes. It’s our history, though not a public one.” She glanced up. "Would I be able to check on my teammates?"

Lucy looked at Maggie, willing to follow her lead. Maggie grimaced but nodded.

"I can take us up two at a time," J'onn said.

Maggie shook her head and motioned for Imra to stand. She tapped at the hidden comm in her ear. "Alpha, can we have a lift?"

* * *

Maggie didn't like this. It didn't feel like a trap, but it felt like her world was about to change again. It wasn't that she disliked change, she just didn't like where this was going. She hadn't lived this long as a Ranger without being able to see specific paths in life.

The ship's all-white color felt like it was trying too hard to be Good. Maggie took a slow breath and did her best to set aside her prejudices. If these were evil Phantoms from the future, they wouldn't have seen the attack coming. For now, she could let J'onn and Lucy use their judgment. Maggie would speak up if necessary.

The stasis pods were frosted over, the information on them in a dialect of Eltaran Maggie would have to study to decipher. Imra checked through the readings quickly before tapping on the pod with blue fringe.

"Querl Dox is a Coluan A.I.," Imra said. "He can adapt best to this timeline, though I'm not sure if he'll be able to use his Phantom powers."

Well, Maggie wasn't going to feel bad about that.

The fog faded away to reveal a blue man with wild Albert Einstein hair. He woke and sat up as the glass of the pod slid open. He looked around at the D.E.O. contingent and the other pods before focusing on Imra. "The quantum dissonance is too great for our powers."

Imra nodded. "But we can still help. We have knowledge and experience."

"Yes, but it is the weapons we forged with the Phantom powers that will bring down the World Killers." He got to his feet and pressed his left fingers to the cuff on his right wrist.

His Phantom armor didn't emerge from storage places like that of the Phantom sent to kill Maggie. The armor erupted on his skin like a proper Ranger uniform. Maggie didn't know how she felt about that. The black suit had blue lines and highlights, and the helmet didn't have the shape of a Zord. He fisted his hands, causing lights to glow on his knuckles.

"The World Killers are immune to every weapon available to us in this galaxy and those surrounding us," Querl said as the faceplate slid up his helmet. "We have had to study their energy signatures to come up with the quantum opposite."

"But they are powerful physical fighters with special abilities," Imra said. "Getting close enough to hit them is not easy, though we managed to destroy one of the World Killers." She went to a computer station and brought up videos on holographic screens. "It took all five of us to take down one World Killer. Even with your help, Supergirl, two Phantoms won't be enough."

"If three from your time came back here," Alex said, "are there now six of them running around?"

Querl shook his head. "It's impossible for a past self and a future self to exist at the same time due to entropic cascade failure."

Lucy tilted her head. "Sounds fun. Did they kill their younger selves, 'cause I can see that being a problem for them."

"We believe they've only sent back their consciousness," Imra said. "They're inhabiting their past bodies and changing the outcome of their work here."

Kara paced in front of the screens, watching the battles play out. "They'll be in human bodies?" When she saw Imra nod, she asked, "Do you have a way of tracking their energy signature since you've studied it?"

"Unfortunately, no," Querl said. "The source of their powers is a quantum realm not easily accessible by technology."

"So we have no idea who we're fighting," Alex said, "we don't have the means to fight them off properly, and we likely don't have a lot of time before things start going to shit." She sighed. "Typical Tuesday."

Maggie crossed her arms and stared off into space as everyone discussed avenues of actions they could take. She knew what she had to do, but it twisted her stomach to contemplate it. This wasn't what she wanted. She had only just started to come to terms of having a life with Alex without her powers and responsibilities to the Zeo Crystal. Now that she had a choice, she wanted to stay where she was in life.

But, she couldn't turn away from any means to protect the life of this and every planet.

"Can their powers be transferred?" Maggie asked, cutting into the conversation.

Imra and Querl exchanged looks. "It's possible," Imra said carefully. "But I won't ask it of you. We did our research before coming back to this time. I'm grateful as it is that you're even willing to converse with us."

"You're not seriously considering taking the powers that killed you, are you?" Alex demanded.

Maggie looked her fiance in the eyes. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger, Alex. I know I don't have to do this, but I also can't just stay on the sidelines and hope for the best."

Alex still wasn't convinced. "I know you're willing to do this, but can your body handle it? Will it cooperate with the energy that killed it?"

Maggie looked at Imra and Querl. "It's not the same, right? In a thousand years, the power has changed?"

Querl nodded. "The Phantom Rangers of this time use a kind of energy that decays life. In our time, that's not the case." His armor faded away as he went to another computer. "We can also run diagnostic scans to make sure you'll be compatible with our morphers."

Alex stood in front of Maggie, eyes searching. She then turned to stand beside her. "Make it two sets of scans."

"Like hell will I let you two have all the superpowers," Lucy said, moving to stand next to Alex. "Looks like you have replacements."

Querl got to work. Imra was stunned for a long moment.

Kara nudged her and smiled. "Welcome to Earth. We're feisty here."

Imra blinked and looked beyond grateful. "I'm hoping that will be a good thing before all is said and done."

Maggie hoped so, too. Aunt Linda would KILL her if she died before her wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can haz comments? Pls?


	7. Reign, Part 1

Maggie looked over the dark armor on her body that shimmered with a deep green color. "This is weird."

"Yeah, it is," Alex said, watching her dark grey armor turn pitch black in the right light.

"You were a Ranger just the once," Lucy pointed out from where her armor glinted a deep blood red. Alex and Maggie had been insisting it was pink, to rile her up.

"Yeah," Alex said, "and this is weird. It doesn't sit right."

"What does that even mean?"

Maggie flexed her hands into fists and watched the smooth spots on her knuckles glow with gathering power. "Ranger armor comes from within a person. This stuff came out of our skin, but it doesn't feel like it came from _me_." She shook her head. "I don't know how to explain it."

Imra stepped forward from where she was watching them adapt to the new powers. "A Ranger of the Morphing Grid is empowered by their inner strength and the bond they share with their team. Their armor is as strong as those aspects and their conviction to protect. Phantom Rangers of my time are powered by technology that bonds with a person. The armor isn't dependent on anything but inner strength."

The explanation made sense, but it still didn't sit right with Maggie. Oh, well. She had a choice, sure, but it wasn't much of one. Help save the world by doing the punching or help by putting herself between fleeing civilians and World Killers. She'd much rather have the armor.

"Why is Maggie green and Alex black, then?" Lucy asked, making no mention of her color.

"It's still a bond with how they perceive themselves," Imra said.

Maggie traded a fist bump with Alex while Lucy quietly huffed about red, not pink.

"The Power Rangers are requesting permission to board," Querl said.

Imra nodded. "Go ahead, Brainy."

"Brainy?" Alex asked.

"It's a nickname."

A few moments later, five beams of light landed in a cluster off to Maggie's side. She could help her smirk as she pulled the dagger from her hip and started to flip it from hand to hand.

Kim glared. "You're not as funny as you look, Mags."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I do not understand, either," Querl said, head tilted in confusion.

"She has a bad habit of stabbing people in the stomach when she's mind controlled," Trini explained, grinning.

"It was only twice!" Maggie protested.

"It still hurt!" Zack shot back.

"You got better!"

Jason whistled. "Children."

Everyone, excluding Imra and Querl, looked at him and said, "Yes, dad?"

"I hate all of you." He looked at Imra. "We can't help you fight unless the World Killers go after the Crystal, but we don't need our armor to be helpful."

"The World Killers, despite the name," Querl said, "have never gone after Zeo Crystals. While they are destructive, they leave behind enough of a populace to spread word of their actions."

"Do we know _why_  they do any of this?" Billy asked.

Imra shrugged lightly. "They say their purpose is to leave behind only people who are pure of mind and peaceful. They claim the lives they take are those who would have otherwise caused destruction and harm. And while they do tend to eliminate criminals first, they eventually move on to civilians with minor infractions."

"The meek will inherit the Earth, huh?" Zack shook his head. "Well, like the boss said, we can't morph, but maaaybe we can pilot this ship?"

As one, his five teammates who knew him longest said, "Do not let Zack drive."

Zack flipped them off. After figuring out a few more details of their cooperation, Maggie watched them leave in beams of light. For a moment, she wished she was still one of them. But she was far more content to be at Alex's side with Phantom powers.

"We should head back and check in as well," Lucy said. "But first, does this thing have the ability to cloak itself?"

Querl nodded. "I can do so now if you like."

"Wait until we're back on base," Alex said. "Someone might get trigger happy if you just vanish with us still on the ship."

The three women powered down, the armor melting back into them. All that remained were thin obsidian bands around their wrists. No one would notice them, so they wouldn't have to explain why they suddenly had matching bracelets. Querl and Imra moved the ship off to the side of the base that Lucy would make sure remained unused for the duration of their stay. The two Phantoms from the future would be officially introduced to the desert base in the morning.

"So, since I'm in the dog house for accepting superhero powers without consulting Vas," Lucy said, "can I crash on your couch? It's a lot comfier than mine."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Just because you aren't getting any, doesn't mean you're going to stop me."

Lucy smirked. "You don't need to abstain just because I'm there."

Alex rolled her eyes. "I'm telling Vas you're a voyeur."

"It won't be news to them."

Maggie shook her head. "Since we kinda don't have an explanation to be in the desert, want to meet at our place tonight?"

Lucy nodded. "We'll bring dessert and booze." She was teleported back to Medical and would update J'onn.

Alex told Querl where to drop her, and Maggie went back to the alley across from the precinct. As she headed back to work, she looked down at the slim bracelets that contained her Phantom powers. She couldn't help it, and she knew it wasn't true, but they felt like manacles binding her to some horrible unknown abyss.

* * *

The first thing Maggie did when she and Alex arrived at Kara's Christmas party was to find the mistletoe. Alex laughed but kissed her all the same, to the point of Trini asking if Kara should've collected a cover charge at the door. Maggie didn't think when she flipped Trini the bird.

"Been there, done that," Trini said, bored.

Alex finally pulled back, grinning, when Kara let in a harried Sam who was babbling about cookies.

"Food is food in this house," Kara told her. "Don't worry about it."

For the first time in the week since Maggie took on the new Phantom Powers, she felt herself relaxing. She had skipped the Danvers holiday celebration the year before due to deals made about overtime and shift coverage long before she was dating Alex. At the time, she had been grateful; the winter holidays could be hit or miss with her. Aunt Linda, and then her teammates, had helped her through redefining what it meant to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with people Maggie cared about. Still, she hadn't wanted to risk a Mood by seeing Alex's family all happy when Maggie hadn't been at all truthful about her own.

Then Jingle Bell Rock came on _again_.

"Give me that," Lucy demanded of Winn, taking the tablet controlling the music. "If Vas can't be here, then he doesn't get his favorite song."

"Vasquez volunteered to work tonight," J'onn reminded her.

Lucy's pout didn't dissipate as she scrolled through the list. "Doesn't matter. No Vas, no Rock."

Maggie wasn't sure if Lucy's choice of Santa Baby was any better, but at least it was different.

Winn was setting up A Charlie Brown Christmas for M'yrnn, Lena, and Sam when three cellphones chimed at the same time. Maggie exchanged looks with her fellow Rangers before she headed out to the hall with Lucy. It turned out Lucy's call was from Vas, while Imra had called Maggie.

Reign had announced her arrival.

"You wanted to see Vas," Maggie pointed out when their calls concluded.

"Yeah, but I wanted to see Vas here."

"If this lasts the whole shift, you'll be able to get Vas out of uniform?"

Lucy considered it for a moment. "I like the way you think, Sawyer." She popped her headed into the apartment. "Danvers, it's go time."

It wouldn't seem at all unusual for the cop, FBI agent, and lower ranking of the two present bosses to have to see to something together. J'onn and Kara would only need to deal with any suspicions from Sam, anyway. There was a perk of Lena being in the know now, even if she only knew half the story.

When the three of them were in the stairwell and out of sight, Imra teleported them to the empty field where Vas was conducting various DEO agents. The smell of burning foliage made Maggie wrinkle her nose.

"You need a bird's eye view," Vas told them.

Irma rose a few feet into the air before motioning at them. Her powers lifted Maggie, Lucy, and Alex into the air. Maggie relaxed into the invisible sensation quickly enough, but she heard Lucy grunt as she tried to keep her cool, and Alex frowned before settling. Maggie supposed flying wasn't new to her; it was the lack of being held while in the air.

"This is the sign of Reign," Imra said when they were high enough to see the full brand. "By dawn, the city will be covered in them."

"Scare tactics?" Lucy asked.

Imra nodded. "In a way. Earth doesn't know what this symbol means, but they will fear it all the same."

"Will the other two leave their marks?" Alex asked.

"Not like this."

"Can we catch up to her?" Maggie asked as they headed back down to Vasquez.

Imra shook her head. "Not tonight. Brands have already been found around the city. She's gone back into hiding."

Alex looked over Vasquez's shoulder to study the tablet. "Has anyone found anything biological for us to use as identification?"

With Alex and Lucy diving into the DEO roles, Maggie looked at Imra. "I want to read up on the history of the attacks."

Imra nodded, and they teleported to the ship. Maggie settled in for a long study session and set her alarm for midnight. Hauling Alex home for sleep wouldn't be easy, but it would be necessary. They would need their energy to deal with the chaos the city would be in tomorrow. 

* * *

Maggie shoved the punk into the back of the patrol car and slammed the door. "Good to go," she told the officer.

He nodded. "Hey, Sawyer? Grab lunch and take a breather. You're getting a little rough with them."

She sighed. "Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks."

"You're one of the good ones, Sawyer. I'd like it to stay that way." He got in his car and drove off.

Maggie tilted her head back and soaked up the sun for a minute. There had been another cop killed the night before. It was the same as the first; dirty, accused of excessive force more than once, and not someone anyone missed. It was still unpleasant to know someone was out there killing cops. Whoever it was wouldn't stick to the bad apples. In the end, things always escalated.

"We're done here, Sawyer." Jacob was quiet and kept out of arm's reach. Smart man.

Maggie opened her eyes and looked at the spray-painted symbol. "Gotta hand it to the kid, she did a damn good job copying it."

Jacob snorted and shook his head as he headed for their car. "This is not the kind of love for the arts I'd like to encourage."

Maggie agreed. After three hours of arresting idiots who thought it'd be great fun to copy the brands that had appeared across National City, Maggie was annoyed and exhausted. "Tacos?"

"Always. I'll drive."

Maggie fell into the passenger seat and checked her phone. The DEO had no leads, and it seemed Reign had yet to appear. She took that as a blessing. Lucy was only two days into training in the Pit. As good as Lucy was, there was room for improvement now that superpowers were involved.

They grabbed their lunch and sat on the trunk of the car, wanting to be ready to go but also wanting to enjoy the beautiful day. Kara made a point of landing a few feet away before approaching, cape fluttering in the breeze.

"Since when did we earn ice cream delivery from Supergirl?" Jacob asked as he took the cone offered to him.

"I'd say something about officers of the law and deserving a treat," she said, sounding more like Kara than Supergirl, "but in all honesty, I've been out all day doing small things like this to remind everyone I'm here and ready to deal with this awful defacer of property."

Maggie licked up the dripping ice cream down the cone. "Any more snakes named Fluffy?"

Kara groaned. "That was once! Who told you about that?"

Maggie grinned. "I don't rat out my informants."

Kara huffed. "See if I ever help you find your future lost dog." She tilted her head. "Gotta go. Be careful, both of you, please?"

Jacob saluted with his half-eaten cone. "You got it, Supergirl."

Maggie shook her head at him. "Are you even going to finish lunch?"

"Yes, _mom_ , but desert comes before lunch in the alphabet."

She shoved him off the car. Why did she always have smart asses for friends?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of today, June 5th 2019, this story is on hiatus. I've become too reliant on comments to motivate me. This fic is no longer fun to write due to the looming dread of knowing I'll churn out 2k+ words and the majority of readers won't even give me a smiley face emoticon.
> 
> I will continue to write this, I just won't post any of it until it's complete. That way I can post on a more reliable schedule and not care as much about the sound of silence. (Which is how it should be, yes, but I’m one of those pesky humans who require positive reinforcement.)
> 
> To those who have consistently commented: I love you so much. You have no idea the happy dances I do in the pharmacy when I see your names in my in-box.  
> To those who have commented at least once: I really, truly appreciate you. I squee like a dolphin cause I’m so happy when I see what you've said.
> 
> Thank you all for reading this. This fic will get done. Just not right now.


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